There’s a new Schlotzsky’s-Cinnabon coming to Jonesboro, AR on Tuesday, November 19. Doors open at 10 a.m., and get there early, because the first 100 people to purchase a Cinnabon 6-Pack will get FREE Schlotzsky’s for a year. That’s one FREE small The Original sandwich each week for 52 weeks! We’ll have lots of fun games and other prizes to giveaway all day. Don’t miss it!

1605 Stadium Blvd., Jonesboro, AR

(870) 336-0660

*One small The Original sandwich per week at this location for 52 consecutive weeks commencing on November 19, 2013 and expiring on November 19, 2014. Only valid for persons 18 years or older. Offer valid only at the Jonesboro Schlotzsky’s.

Don’t miss the grand opening of the new Schlotzsky’s-Cinnabon in Corsicana, TX on Thursday, June 27. Doors open at 10am and the first 100 people to purchase a Cinnabon 6-Pack will get free Schlotzsky’s for a year. We’ll have lots of fun games and prizes, so get there early!

3101 Mountain Drive

903-641-2867

*One small The Original sandwich per week at this location for 52 consecutive weeks commencing on June 27, 2013 and expiring on June 27, 2014. Only valid for persons 18 years or older. Offer valid only at the Corsicana Schlotzsky’s.

Get your buns to our new Schlotzsky’s-Cinnabon-Carvel in Suwanee at 2941 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road! Doors open at 11am on Thursday, May 2. First 100 people to buy a Cinnabon 6-Pack will get FREE Schlotzsky’s each week for a YEAR! Join our Bun & Fun eClub and you could be one of 50 people to win free Schlotzsky’s each month for a year. The day will be full of fun, games, prizes and more. Don’t miss out!

*One small The Original sandwich per week at this location for 52 consecutive weeks commencing on May 2, 2013 and expiring on May 2, 2014. Only valid for persons 18 years or older. Offer valid only at the Suwanee Schlotzsky’s.

The free Tax Day offers from Schlotzsky’s and Cinnabon are featured in this news clip from FOX 17 in Nashville. Visit participating Schlotzsky’s locations in Tax, purchase a 32oz. drink and chips and get a small The Original sandwich for FREE! Stop into Cinnabon on Tax Day between 6pm and 8pm and get two FREE Cinnabon Bites!

Our first restaurant in New Jersey is scheduled to open on Sunday, March 24 at 10am! Join us for all-day giveaways and a chance to spin the wheel for various prizes. Join the eClub on opening day and you’ll have the chance to win an iPad Mini. Schlotzsky’s will also reward the first 100 patrons who purchase a CinnaPack™ of six Cinnabon® Classic rolls with free Schlotzsky’s or Cinnabon for a year.

The fun doesn’t stop on opening day! During the opening week, the New Jersey Schlotzsky’s will support the brand’s national cause, JDRF, by donating 5% of proceeds to the organization.

Date: Sunday, March 24

Time: 10am

Address: 39 Nathaniel Place in the Englewood ShopRite Plaza

*One small The Original sandwich per week at this location for 52 consecutive weeks commencing on March 24, 2013 and expiring on March 25, 2014. Only valid for persons 18 years or older. Offer valid only at the Englewood, NJ Schlotzsky’s.

Everybody loves a good comeback story, and if Hollywood were to feature one about a restaurant as opposed to an underdog sports team, Schlotzsky’s would be the star. After all, what’s more inspiring than a brand reclaiming a top spot in the industry less than a decade after filing bankruptcy? That story belongs to Schlotzsky’s President Kelly Roddy, the man who took over in 2007, and helped the nearly extinct chain to accomplish seven years in a row of positive comps. It’s also enjoying a huge growth spurt, opening 30 units in the past two years with plans to open at least 50 more this year.

“All round, Lotz better”

While most brands struggling to regain relevancy tend to overhaul their entire menu, Schlotzsky’s left it alone for the most part except for changing the salads — they’re fresh now — and a few other menu additions. Instead of changing the food, Roddy decided to concentrate on updating the look and feel of the brand. What sets Schlotzsky’s apart from competitors, he said, is serving sandwiches on made-from-scratch, round buns, as opposed to the subs served in most restaurants. Those round buns inspired the chain’s design element and new tagline, “All round, Lotz better.” (Click here to see photos of the new design.)

The first unit to get the redesign was in Waco, Texas, in 2009, because if it worked there, “We knew it would work anywhere. Circles are just a cool design and you see them everywhere from on the walls to the lamp shades to our cups and bags,” Roddy said. “When you see a circle, we want you to think Schlotzsky’s.”

The design also incorporated fresh, modern colors, including apple green, sky blue and bright red mixed with some earth tones.

“It’s just a cool, hip look,” he said.

When sales increased at the Waco unit by 45 percent, Roddy and his team knew they were onto something and began building all the new units with the new look. They still had 350 “old” stores, however, that needed updated. They went to work planning how to use their marketing dollars to retrofit the other stores. It took a few years, but now nearly every unit has new paint inside and out, new signage, packaging and road signs.

Better service

Although customers still order at the counter, Schlotzsky’s staff bring their food to their tables. In the past, guests waited for their numbers to be called and had to fetch their orders.

“It’s now more of a sit down and relax atmosphere, and we’ve removed the clutter with the numbers,” Roddy said. “We also added more soft seating instead of mainly just hard chairs. There’s more booths and nice lighting. It feels more like a casual dining experience.”

The food comes on china as opposed to paper products, which also upgrades the experience.

Branding together

The chain also found another way to increase sales; it added a Cinnabon Express to about 200 of its locations, and 30 units now house Carvel Ice Cream units.

“When we add these brands, we are more of a complete package,” Roddy said. “We may be selling ice cream to one out of 10 customers during the day, but it’s more about creating family events at night. It helps bring in more families. We’ve seen a nice little bump in the Carvel stores at dinner.”

Cinnabon, which sees half its sales as take out, also encourages guests to spend more money.

“They’ll stop in for lunch and then grab Cinnabon to go,” Roddy said. “It’s a very inexpensive way to put in another national brand and bring in customers.”

Looking ahead

Schlotzsky’s is in full growth mode, said Roddy, who predicts the spurt won’t stall anytime soon. The chain, which has a presence throughout the States, has sold more agreements in Texas and Oklahoma and has also targeted Phoenix and California. Franchises will also soon open in Philadelphia, North and South Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida. An announcement about an international deal is also just weeks away, Roddy said.

“We’re not only financially strong; we are growing and will be for years to come,” he said. “It’s just been a great ride.”

Don’t miss out on your chance to get free Cinnabon & Schlotzsky’s! Come to the restaurant and sign up for the Bun & Fun eClub and you’ll be entered to win free Cinnabon & Schlotzsky’s for a year! And be sure to say hello to Bobby Bun and Fudgie the Whale while you’re there – they’ll get you set up to spin the wheel and win cool prizes including sandwiches, chips, hot sauce, frisbees, cookies and more. We’ll also have a putting green set up and if you manage to snag a hole in one, you’ll win free food!

Come back on Saturday, July 14 and hang out with Bobby and Fudgie again. We’ll have the putting green and prize wheel set up and you can bring the kids for lots of fun, including water balloon toss, football toss, and balloon animals!